


gay

by themagnificentquack



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Minor Injuries, Not Actually Unrequited Love, i learned some spanish terms of endearment so expect me to go way overboard with that, my essay on why Laurel is the sun and Dinah is the moon in their relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29089788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themagnificentquack/pseuds/themagnificentquack
Summary: laurel is undercover with cayden giving info to dinah and she and dinah are good frens and laurel never kills vincelaurel is thinking "wow im so in love w this bitch"and dinah is thinking "this is crazy i want to hug her so bad, i've never had a friend like laurel before"ya'know, gay shit
Relationships: Dinah Drake/Earth-2 Laurel Lance
Comments: 40
Kudos: 41





	1. Guapa

**Author's Note:**

> dictionary for all the spanish shit (ill add more as they come up):  
> guapa - it means like pretty / attractive but its not necessarily romantic like friends say it to e/o all the time  
> bella- it means beautiful, this one is not platonic lol  
> mi amor- my love, gay as hell  
> el sol- the sun (sun/moon dynamics have been claimed by the gays, as we all know)  
> mi alma - my soul (v romantic, love that for them)  
> mi corázon - my heart  
> cariña- darling (a classic)  
> pollita - a beautiful, fabulous phrase that literally means little chicken but actually means cute  
> tona - idiot (dinah means it playfully tho)

Laurel paid rapt attention to Cayden's presentation of the next phase of his plan. He only told them what they needed to know, but it was enough. It had to be- she'd be seeing Dinah later that night to relay her notes on Cayden during their "fight".

He was a genius, she'd give him that. His plan was masterful, right down to the smallest of details. Her fellow underlings were either too dumb or too antipathetic to notice.

In fact, she was pretty sure Vincent hadn't been paying attention for a single second. His gaze was elsewhere, lingering on the photo of Dinah posted on the wall beside her fellow vigilantes. She would've shaken it off- it was none of her business who Dinah slept with, no matter how much it hurt- but she knew the look in Vincent's eyes. She'd seen it leveled at her far too many times not to. His eyes were cold, and hungry, and gleaming with a kind of predatory satisfaction she knew all too well. A shiver ran down her spine but fear was beaten out by indignation. Dinah was no one's prey.

She realized her hands had curled into fists and released them quickly. For now, she was Black Siren and she didn't give a rat's ass about Dinah Drake. Later, she would be Laurel, and she would make sure Vincent Sobel never got anywhere near her- her friend.

Before she knew it they were getting ready to head out to the docks where Laurel made sure Team Arrow was waiting for them.

She went through her stretches smoothly, ignoring the gaze of men who grabbed the biggest gun they could find and then stood and leered at her while they waited for the vans. She swallowed her hatred and began collecting her weapons, silently preparing herself for the battle ahead.

She would see Dinah soon. The thought took her by surprised every time, stealing through the choke-hold her mission had on her mind and making way for the smallest bit of hope to filter in. She didn't let it show as she walked to the van and got in the passenger side, but she allowed herself to feel in, to bask in Dinah's gentle glow and let it chase away the darkness and gently bring her back to life.

She stepped smoothly out of the van and made it two steps into the warehouse by the docks before guns started firing and she was pulled to the side into a room that she would've sworn wasn't there two seconds ago.

Dinah pushed her up against the wall and her heartbeat doubled. Dinah was so very warm and soft against her and Laurel figured this was the closest she'd ever get to a hug.

"Hey," she murmured into Dinah's ear, flipping them around and making a show at fighting for any cameras or bystanders, but always pulling her punches so she didn't hurt her.

"Handing you my notes... now," she said, slipping note cards on a key ring into the pocket against Dinah's thigh. That key ring had over two weeks worth of careful notes on Cayden's plans, his underlings, even hand drawn diagrams of all the new buildings she now knew Cayden used. They were imperfect and incomplete, but Laurel spent hours on them and they were all she had to offer.

"Thanks," Dinah whispered, leading them through an impressive looking sequence of moves just in case.

Now that her primary objective was done, Laurel's body was flooded with nerves. She had to tell Dinah about Vincent, she'd never forgive herself if she didn't.

She lowered Dinah gently to the ground and sat on her hips, pretending to throw punches that Dinah easily blocked. Pushing aside the arousal swirling in her gut at their position, Laurel took a deep breath.

"About Vincent," she started, still unsure of exactly what she was going to say.

She didn't miss the soft smile that graced Dinah's features at his name and it absolutely shattered her heart because Dinah never smiled that way for her.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know you're stubborn as a mule and you probably won't listen, but can I offer some advice?" she asked. At Dinah's nod, she continued, "I know you guys have history, but the way he looks at you scares me. Really scares me." She hesitated a moment. "Just be careful," she said, unable to stop herself from reaching down to tuck a lock of hair behind Dinah's ear.

Dinah smiled up at her and longing pulled at Laurel's chest so strongly that she was sure her heart would tear itself out of her chest to get to Dinah. The desire to kiss someone had never taken hold of her as strongly as it did when she was around Dinah. She'd never loved anyone the way she was in love with Dinah. It hurt more than any wound that she didn't feel the same, but Dinah deserved to have people who loved her, whether or not that love was returned.

"Thanks for telling me," Dinah murmured, feeling conflicted.

Laurel nodded. She still looked worried, so Dinah reached up to cup her face in her hands and said, "I'll be careful Guapa, I promise." She froze when she heard the term of endearment spill from her lips. She only spoke Spanish with her family, and occasionally Rene. It only really slipped out when she was overwhelmed with emotion, usually anger.

Her brain was telling her that meant something terrifying, but Laurel was smiling at her with that special look in her eyes and it didn't seem to matter anymore.

Laurel seemed to realize they'd stopped pretending to fight and she threw a half-hearted punch. Dinah laughed a little as she caught it easily and instead of letting go, she pulled Laurel down so she was laying on top of her.

She let out a gentle sigh and struggled not to wrap her arms around the woman on top of her. She'd never had a friend like Laurel before.

The sound of bullets stopped all at once and Laurel got up silently and pulled Dinah with her, both their ears perked. They heard Oliver shouting for retreat and Laurel sighed. "That's your cue," she said quietly.

Dinah leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Love you," she whispered, before slipping out the door and melding in with the retreating group of vigilantes.

Laurel touched her fingertips to her cheek reverently, a small smile playing on her lips. "I love you too," she whispered into the empty room.


	2. Bella, Mi Amor, el Sol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> vince shows his true colors and laurel comes in for the rescue 
> 
> look at me doing actual chapter summaries 🤩

Laurel walked out of her meeting with Cayden, repeating all the important things to write down once she got to her car.

The skin on her cheek tingled briefly and she pressed the pads of her fingers to it. It had been three days since Dinah kissed her but she swore she still felt it.

Distracted, she didn't even realize Diaz was in front of her until she almost bumped into him, sidestepping just in time.

"Scuze me babygirl," he said, a wide grin on his face.

Laurel didn't even bother to hide her grimace. "What's got you all cheery?" she asked.

His smile grew even more self-satisfied, if that was even possible. "I'm about to replace you as James' right hand," he said.

Laurel cocked an eyebrow, hiding the panic swirling in her chest. If she lost her place with Cayden there was no way she would be able to feed enough information to Team Arrow for them to take him down.

"How are you planning on doing that?" she asked.

Diaz crossed his arms. "I'm going to give him the Black Canary."

_No no no no no._

"Vince is going to get her right now. Apparently they used to date or something."

_Act natural_ , Laurel told herself firmly. "Can I get first dibs when you bring her in?" she asked, swallowing down the bile in the back of her throat and willing her legs not to collapse underneath her.

"Finders keepers," he said, with a smile that would surely show up in Laurel's nightmares.

She fought the urge to throw up and said, "Good luck with Cayden. You're lucky I don't see you as competition or I might have to kill you on your way out." She interjected just enough venom into her voice to make him wonder if she was joking or not.

He just laughed and walked away.

Laurel walked calmly down the hall and then sprinted to her car once she was out of sight. She pulled out her phone and tracked down Dinah near an old warehouse in the Glades. She headed there immediatly, throwing caution to the wind and breaking several speeding laws in her haste.

She parked sloppily once she was close and ran to Dinah's location as fast as she could.

She saw them from far away and slowed her pace in confusion when she saw Dinah with her head tilted back in laughter. She felt a flash of self-doubt. Maybe she'd gotten it wrong and Vincent was planning on switching sides? She crept closer just in case.

Her mouth fell open when Vincent kissed Dinah and she _melted_ into it, her hand drifting up to cup his jaw. Laurel looked away, her bottom lip wobbling with the effort it took to hold back tears. She'd known she loved Dinah for weeks but she really felt it now- heavy in the way her heart dropped to her stomach and the tears that stung as they struggled to escape her eyes. She was head over heels in love with Dinah Drake. And Dinah was in love with Vincent.

She turned to walk away, her head hanging, but before she could get to her car she heard the smack of fist hitting flesh and Dinah's cry of pain. She turned back right away, her eyes widening in horror.

"Vinny what are you doing?" Dinah yelled, clutching the side of her face, blood dripping through her fingers.

Vincent punched her again and Laurel broke into a run. "Sorry babe," he said. "But this is the world we live in." He drew his arm back again and Laurel's cry propelled him 20 feet into the side of a building and broke all the glass in the area.

She ran up to Dinah and cupped in face in her palms. "You okay?" she asked.

Dinah's eyes were swimming with tears but she put on a strong face and said, "I'm good," struggling to breathe after the punch to the stomach.

Laurel heard a rattle and saw Vincent standing up, his supernatural healing allowing his body to fix what would've killed a regular person three times over.

"Well isn't this a surprise!" he shouted, pulling out a gun from his waistband.

"We have to go," Laurel said. Dinah nodded sluggishly and ran slowly, clearly in pain. Laurel ran next to her and then dropped behind to protect her with her body when a gunshot rang out.

A bullet sliced through her arm and Laurel let out a pained gasp but kept going, directing Dinah to the car and starting it up immediately when they got there. The tires screamed against the road as Laurel pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, her heart racing.

"Are you okay?" she asked, briefly taking her eyes off the road to look at Dinah.

"I fucking thought he loved me," Dinah said, her voice twisted with pain. Laurel glanced over and her and her heart broke at the devastated look on her face, half hidden by the blood streaming from the wound on the side of her head.

They pulled up to a red light and Laurel took her shirt off and offered it to Dinah to put pressure on her wound, terrified of how much blood she seemed to be losing. 

The action twinged her arm and Laurel cursed as the adrenaline wore off and pain flooded her arm. She gritted her teeth and pulled off her tank-top as well and bound it around her arm as tightly as she could.

She glanced over to check on Dinah and winced when she saw Dinah staring at her chest. "Sorry Officer," she said teasingly. "I know it's illegal to drive topless but, desperate times right?"

Dinah's gaze popped up to meet Laurel's eyes and she said, "Oh, right. I- yeah."

Laurel felt heat rise to her cheeks in embarrassment. She searched their brief conversation, trying to figure out when she made it awkward. The silence had been fine before but it was heavy and uncomfortable now and Laurel was eternally grateful they were only a couple of minutes from her safe house.

She pulled into a small alleyway that was definitely not a parking spot and squeezed through the tiny space between the car door and the wall of the building. She saw Dinah doing the same and tilted her head towards the basement entrance to her safe house.

She pulled out her keys from their various hiding spaces: the loose brick in the wall, the fake rock, half buried, the broke piece of concrete, and the secret compartment in her door.

She dropped her handful of keys when she looked over and saw Dinah staring at her chest again. She turned away, blushing bright red, and hurried to pick up all the keys and unlock the door.

Dinah's eyebrows went all the way up to her hairline when she saw the inside of Laurel's safe house. "You live here?" she asked.

Laurel looked around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, she;d even cleaned the other day. "Yeah, why?" she asked.

Dinah just stared. "The floor and walls are made of concrete," she said, like that was more important than the blood come from her head wound, or the fact that Laurel had been shot. "Let's deal with her head first alright?" Laurel asked. Dinah nodded reluctantly and and took the chair that was offered to her.

Laurel ran to get her first aid kit and threw on a t-shirt while she was at it.

She gently pulled her shirt away from Dinah's wound and let out a sigh of relief when she saw the bleeding had already slowed to a trickle. She dabbed the cut with disinfectant, murmuring apologies and consolations when Dinah cursed in pain. She gently pressed the bandage against Dinah's skin, careful to make sure none of her hair got caught. She stood back to admire her handiwork and laughed a little when she saw Dinah's pouty face.

"Fuck you," Dinah said playfully. Laurel laughed and walked away to get a washcloth to hide the effect that just one word from Dinah had on her. That woman couldn't be anything but sexy even if she tried.

She returned with the washcloth and gently wiped the blood from Dinah's face, trying to ignore the way she closed her eyes with a small smile, or the resulting tug in Laurel's chest. Even after the blood was gone she made one final pass with the cloth, lovingly tracing the contours of Dinah's face.

Dinah's eyes opened slowly and she smiled when her gaze immediately landed on Laurel. "Thanks bella," she murmured quietly. She froze when she realized what had happened- again. "Sorry," she said quietly, embarrassed. "It just slipped out."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Laurel whispered. Dinah looked up at her sweet, sincere face, and noticed how much more open and vulnerable she looked now than when they'd first met. It hit her that Laurel had let her in, trusted her so completely that she was willing to let her walls drop the the first time in years. She felt this wave of adoration in her chest: for Laurel's strength, and the depth of her emotion, and the quiet way she smiled when no one but Dinah was looking.

Dinah stood up and did the only thing she could- she pulled Laurel in and hugged her tight, making sure not to bump her arm. "I love you," she said.

Laurel hugged her carefully, like she was afraid if she held on too tight Dinah would disappear. "I love you too," Laurel replied. Her voice quivered, but Dinah could hear just how sure she was, could feel Laurel's conviction in her bones. It only made her love her even more.

"Mi amor," she whispered, her voice barely loud enough to reach even her own ears. She did hear it though, and she closed her eyes briefly when she did. That was a decidedly non platonic thing to say, even more so than the others.

Oh god. Vinny. Laurel was pushed swiftly out of her mind as Dinah plunged headfirst into a panic. She'd been so sure he loved her, and she loved him so much.

She slid out of Laurel's arms and onto the cold concrete of the floor, leaving Laurel to stand in shocked silence.

Laurel quickly got down on the floor, sitting on her knees. "D, are you okay?" she asked. She reached out as if she was going to touch Dinah's cheek but she changed her mind at the last second and her hand dropped. Dinah made no hint of a response and Laurel's fist clenched in anxiety. "Are you hurt?" she asked, fear and desperation leaking into her tone.

"Can you hold me?" Dinah asked. Her voice sounded so small and _broken_. It tore at Laurel's heart and she felt a tear slide down her cheek from seeing Dinah so obviously hurtnig.

She scooted forward awkwardly and Dinah all but fell into her lap, throwing her arms around her and laying her head on the crook of her shoulder.

Laurel didn't know what to say, didn't trust herself not to say anything stupid or insensitive, so she said nothing at all, feeling out of her depth and utterly helpless as she traced gently patterns against Dinah's back.

"I had just starting imagining a future with him again, and now- it's like he's gone all over again. I wish I could hate him but I just- I can't," Dinah whispered, wiping her tears.

"Believe me, I hate him more than enough for the both of us," Laurel said. "You just focus on healing."

Dinah let out a quiet sob and Laurel winced because apparently she was incapable of doing anything but hurting the people she loved.

"I'm so lucky to have you," Dinah whispered.

_Wait, what?_ Laurel's heart skipped a beat. "But I'm..." _broken_.

"Eres el sol," Dinah whispered.

"D you know I don't speak Spanish, right?" Laurel asked, running her fingers through Dinah's hair almost on instinct.

Dinah hummed. Her tears were drying, but she still felt the ache of her loss deep in her heart. Her love for Laurel was stronger through, and she meant it with every fiber of her being when she said, "You're the sun. You're strong, and bright, and proud, and your love is so fierce and powerful that sometimes I wonder how you survive it. You're the sun Laur, and I love you."

Laurel was the one crying now, because Dinah bothered to look past the walls that had tentitively come down and she saw Laurel. Really _saw_ her, and she loved her not despite who she was, but because of it. Laurel couldn't help but cry.

Her tears subsided eventually and they held each other in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts and at peace in the moment.


	3. Alma, Corázon, Mi Amor, y Cariña

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they go to the sleep 😴

Laurel concealed a yawn and realized that it was probably getting late. "Do you think it's safe to move? Find somewhere more defensible?" she asked, thinking out loud. "Cayden probably has goons all over the place looking for me considering all the dirt I have on him, but you could probably make it back to your bunker without any trouble."

Dinah yawned too. "I'll call the team in the morning, have them pick us up," she said sleepily.

"Us?" Laurel asked.

Dinah nodded, resting her head on Laurel's shoulder absentmindedly. "You'll be safer in the bunker," she said. Laurel nodded. It made sense, she just wasn't used to people caring about her safety. She wasn't used to being a priority, even to the people she loved.

Dinah stood and held her hand out to help Laurel up. She didn't need help, but she took Dinah's hand anyway, a smile forming at the gentle touch.

"You don't happen to have a couch or something I can sleep on, do you?" Dinah asked, glancing around at Laurel's sparse furnishings.

"The bed's this way," Laurel said, heading to her bedroom. "Do you mind sharing?" she asked, blushing slightly.

"Of course not," Dinah said. It didn't matter at all, or at least it shouldn't because they were totally platonic just friends. She was probably just feeling this way toward Laurel because she loved Vince but he hurt her, so her brain put those feelings on someone else, someone safe. Of course, she'd been feeling this way even before Vince betrayed her, but that didn't mean there wasn't a perfectly feasible reason for it all. In fact, there definitely a reason, she was just too tired to figure it out.

Satisfied, she followed Laurel into the bedroom and her heart squeezed in sympathy when she saw it was just as bare as the rest of the apartment, without a hint of personality. She hoped that when Cayden was dealt with Laurel would stay, maybe put down some roots and-

Oh _god_ Laurel was topless. It was just like in the car except this time she didn't have a bra on either and it was all so much that Dinah could hardly breathe. Her body was taunt and firm in some places, and all soft in others and Dinah wanted to run her fingers over all of it. Her heart was expanding with fondness, but at the same time her stomach was swirling with desire and she wanted Laurel so badly and loved her so much. It was all so overwhelming that she couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare as Laurel pulled on a sleep shirt.

She thought the danger was over but then Laurel pulled off her pants to put on a comfier pair and god her legs were so perfect Dinah thought she might faint.

Laurel finished getting dressed and the first thing she saw when she looked up was Dinah's eyes on her and her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. She let out a surprised gasp before she could help it, her heart beating rapidly with hope, and fear, and lust.

She took a deep breath and kept her head down, concealing her smile. Dinah was the best friend she'd ever had, and she was still hurting from Vince, and now was certainly not the time for this.

"I'm gonna go bandage up my arm but you should get some sleep, okay?" she said.

Dinah nodded and whispered her thanks. Laurel walked out the room and Dinah kicked off her shoes and jeans and unhook her bra and slid it off under her shirt, too tired to do anything else before slipping under the covers.

Laurel's pillow smelled like her- something strong and comforting that Dinah had never been able to place. She settled in and fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the action, and the crying, and comforted by the presence of Laurel in the other room.

Laurel slipped quietly into the room 20 minutes later and smiled at how soft and peaceful Dinah looked, turned on her side with the blankets up to her wist and the creases and twist her face took on during the day worn smooth.

She tried not to move the bed too much when she laid down, but Dinah woke up anyway.

"Hey," she murmured tiredly, flinging and arm over Laurel once she was settled. Laurel laid there for hours trying to fall asleep and listening to Dinah breathe.

Dinah woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of Laurel's shallow breathing as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Her brows burrowed in worry because wonderful, beautiful, Laurel- her alma, her love, her corázon, was having a nightmare.

She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew she couldn't let Laurel keep hurting so she rested her hand softly on Laurel's arm, hoping to wake her up as gently as possible.

She felt Laurel stiffen beside her, and then she was up and scrambling out of bed. Confused, Dinah turned on the light and- blinking at its harshness- she saw Laurel huddled in the corner, looking absolutely terrified.

"Hey it's just me," Dinah whispered, staying back and holding her hands in the air to show she was unarmed.

"Sorry," Laurel whispered, her breath coming fast and hard. "I was hoping that wouldn't happen tonight, I didn't want to wake you."

"It's okay mi amor, really." She hesitated a moment, but when Laurel didn't say anything she asked carefully, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Laurel shook her head slowly. "That's okay," she said. "It's nothing really, just some old memories." She took a deep breath and stood up, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she crossed to the bed and laid down.

She stared up at the ceiling, too afraid to turn her back to either side, or to close her eyes. Dinah turned the light off and got back in bed with her, gently grabbing her hand and tracing soft patterns on her palm. Laurel let out a shuddering breath at the sensation. It was surprising soothing and she felt her eyelids get heavy but she forced herself to keep her eyes open, to keep watch. 

Dinah started softly singing and Laurel's eyes shut as she got lost in Dinah's voice and forgot to be afraid. Her eyes shot open when she realized and Dinah must've sensed it because she said, "It's okay. Close your eyes Cariña, I've got you." She started to sing again and her voice lulled Laurel to sleep.


	4. hermosa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dis ones a lil more angsty as we get into the whole unrequited thing a lil bit more sorry fam   
> oh the ending is happy btw don't worry

Laurel woke up slowly to a warmth she wasn't used to and a gentle pressure against her uninjured arm. She turned and pulled the hanging cord to turn the light bulb on and was greeted with the sight of Dinah all curled up next to her, scrunching up her face at the sudden influx of light. 

Her makeup had gotten wiped off the night before when Laurel was cleaning her cut, and there were lines on her face from the pillow, and she just looked so adorable and _soft_ that Laurel thought she might explode from the force of her emotions.

"Morning," Dinah said sleepily. Her face broke into an amused smile when their eyes met and Laurel rolled her eyes. "I look like a racoon, I know," she said. She could feel yesterday's makeup still on her face- she'd forgotten to take it off among all the drama of the night before.

"Where are the washcloths?" Dinah asked. "I'll go get you one."

Laurel yawned. "There's some in the drawer next to the kitchen sink," she said.

Dinah stood up and stretched, and Laurel's eyes found the strip of tawny skin under the hem of her shirt and all of a sudden she couldn't breathe. Jesus, Dinah was gorgeous.

She walked out of the room, presumably to get a washcloth, and Laurel all but feel off her bed before quickly going to brush her teeth.

Dinah came back in and Laurel expected her to hand over the towel but instead she stepped into Laurel's personal space and murmured, "Close your eyes".

Laurel felt her chest tighten with nervous energy and she hesitated before letting her eyes slip shut. The towel was warm from the water and it felt nice against her skin, but it was nothing compared to the gentle brush of Dinah's fingertips on her cheekbone. And then the cloth was gone and the pad of Dinah's thumb was lightly tracing her bottom lip. Laurel smiled, resisting the urge to wrap her lips around Dinah's thumb, and when she opened her eyes they were close enough that she could see the different shades of green in Dinah's eyes.

Dinah dropped her hand, looking embarrassed, and kissing her just felt like the natural thing to do. Laurel started to lean in, a small smile on her lips, but then Dinah said, "I'm so glad you're my friend hermosa," and the smile dropped right off Laurel's face.

She'd been so sure Dinah felt the same the night before, and her stomach dropped when she realized how badly she'd been deluding herself. Dinah had never felt the same.

She looked down at the ground so Dinah couldn't see how badly she was hurting and quietly said, "Me too".

Dinah smiled, oblivious to the way Laurel was struggling to hold back tears, and said, "I'm gonna call the team and get them to come pick us up".

Laurel nodded and when Dinah walked out of the room she clamped her hand over her mouth and let out the sob that had built up. She punched her pillow in frustration, her heart aching and tears streaking down her face. Then she let out a shuddering exhale and stood up. She forced her emotions down, wiping her eyes and clearing any sigh of heartbreak from her face. There would be time to break down later. For now, Dinah was on the other side of a very thin wall and she could never find how how Laurel felt.

Dinah stuck her head in the door and said, "They'll be here in 25 minutes."

Laurel nodded, plastered on a smile, and said, "I'll make some coffee".

-

Rene Ramierez picked them up in an unmarked van that Laurel would've know was suspicious from several blocks away. He greeted Dinah with a wide grin and a bear hug and Laurel felt a twinge of loneliness seeing the obvious affection between them. 

She nodded hello and after being put through polite introductions and an awkward handshake, they were on the road.

Laurel kept her gaze out the window, dreading the next few hours. She was already struggling to keep her expression even- Dinah's rejection was still fresh on her mind and the lump in her throat felt suffocating. The van felt too small, and Dinah was too close, and she just wanted to be alone.

The van slowed to a stop and Laurel scrambled out with shaking hands and took a deep breath of fresh air.

She heard footsteps behind her but she didn't turn around. "You okay?" Dinah asked.

Laurel nodded, and she was impressed with how steady her voice sounded when she said, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Dinah wrapped her arms around her and rested her chin on her shoulder. Laurel stiffened for a second, but she couldn't help but relax into it. "You sure?" Dinah asked. Laurel sighed. "Yeah," she replied, her eyes misty. "Life just sucks sometimes." 

"You guys ready?" Rene called.

Laurel moved, displacing Dinah, and they walked in to meet Team Arrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have a good day   
> also im changing my name to quack after laurel's stuffed animal   
> vibes   
> gn


	5. pollita, bella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they hang in the bunker. much vibes, but a lil sad bc they haven't admitted their love to each other yet

It was nice to see Felicity at least. They'd never met in person but Laurel had sometimes given her information over the phone if it was really important. She was even more rambling and adorable in person and Laurel felt her dark mood lift ever so slightly.

It didn't take long for Laurel to get bored of small talk and Felicity noticed, taking her away to debrief and get settled in the room she would be sleeping in until they caught Cayden.

She was pleasantly surprised at the state of her new house. All the essentials were there: a mattress with sheets, a mini fridge, and there was even a little shelf on the wall with a ridiculous photo-shopped picture Felicity had made. It still felt a little bit like a prison cell, and Laurel was grateful she brought some things from her apartment to make it feel less like confinement. 

She and Felicity sat on the mattress with their backs against the wall while they debriefed, and even though they were talking about how to take down a crime lord it felt a little bit like friendship.

She ended up spending most of the rest of the day in that room. She wanted to see Dinah because she couldn't get enough of the way she made her feel, but she knew how much it would hurt and she was a coward when it came to her feelings. She'd never be able to understand people like Felicity who wore their hearts on their sleeves. Wasn't she afraid of being broken? Laurel already knew Dinah didn't feel the same way, so it didn't make sense to hurt herself needlessly, especially not so soon.

She tried to distract herself with a movie but her blanket still carried the faint scent of Dinah's lavender perfume, and that was enough to send her back down into this cycle of wanting and hurting and wanting again.

It was hours before Laurel fell into a fitful sleep and she was still tired when she was woken up in the morning by footsteps outside her door. She forgot where she was for a moment, and she was half way to the nearest weapon before she realized.

It was slightly unnerving knowing someone was just outside, especially because she was so used to solitude. Tension she didn't even realize was there slipped away when she heard Dinah's voice, strong and soft and so goddamn beautiful. She was still hurting over having her hopes dashed, but she couldn't control how her body reacted around Dinah and she was pretty sure the sound of her voice would always feel like home.

She opened the door and Dinah was there with cardboard and an adorable smile on her face.

"Hey," she said, as she walked in and plopped down on Laurel's mattress, the grin never leaving her face.

"I brought you a bagel," she said, pulling a paper bag out of the box. "I wasn't sure if you ate yesterday."

Laurel hadn't, and it was beautiful that Dinah noticed, but in a bittersweet way because she knew that even though Dinah loved her, it was in a solely platonic way and that still hurt no matter how wonderful Dinah was.

She kept pulling stuff she had brought for Laurel out of the box: movies, and music, and video games, and a hoodie because she "knew it got cold in Oliver's stupid bunker". It was all so thoughtful, and sweet, and Laurel's heart wouldn't stop hurting.

She rested her head on Dinah's shoulder in a rare gesture of affection or maybe of surrender, because she was tired and because Dinah made her feel cared about in a way she couldn't remember ever feeling before.

Dinah smiled at her and interlocked their fingers and it felt good when butterflies swirled madly in her stomach. She couldn't help it.

"Let's dance," Dinah said suddenly, getting up and turning on some music. Laurel just raised an eyebrow and started eating her bagel.

"M'lady," Dinah said, reaching out her hand.

Laurel cracked a smile, but she didn't stand up. "I can't dance," she said.

Dinah pouted, but stepped away to dance without her. Laurel had to admit it was a good song - although it was possible that the sway of Dinah's hips threw off her judgement.

The song changed and Dinah brightened. "It's a slow one! C'mon you can't mess up slow dancing."

"Believe me, I can," Laurel replied. Possible ways she could mess it up, mess it all up flew through her mind.

"We'll just sway," Dinah said.

Laurel grumbled about it, but it was really just for show. She had no intention of ever saying no to Dinah. She didn't know how.

She put her half-eaten bagel to the side and when Dinah wrapped her arms loosely around her shoulders Laurel awkwardly rested her hands on Dinah's hips, touching her so lightly that she wouldn't be sure they were touching at all if not for the faint crackle of electricity beneath her fingertips.

Dinah rested her head on her shoulder, and it occurred to Laurel how nice it would be if she didn't have to pretend not to be in love. It could be so perfect: so intimate in a way didn't think existed, but she was starting to get a feel for underneath the way she was over-analyzing ever tiny motion to make sure she wasn't being too romantic, and she could hardly keep her hands from shaking.

She shivered violently when Dinah nuzzled into her neck, and horrifyingly, Dinah noticed. "Are you cold?" she asked. "I brought you a hoodie."

Laurel really wasn't that cold, but the idea of wearing Dinah's hoodie made her feel all warm and soft, so she put it on anyway.

There was something incredibly comforting about it- like she could feel Dinah's presence imbued in the fabric. It smelled like her too, and Laurel let a small smile show on her face as she stuck her hands in the pockets.

Dinah pulled the hood up and Laurel blushed when she said, "Aw pollita. You look so cute."

"Shut up," Laurel replied, swatting at Dinah playfully with the sleeve.

Dinah tackled her onto the bed and Laurel laughed when instead of using her advantage, Dinah just curled up next to her.

Laurel impulsively pressed a kiss to her cheek and instantly regretted it because even though Dinah had kissed her cheek before she was still worried because it meant so much more than friendship when she did it. Thankfully, Dinah didn't freak out, or slap her, instead she just looked up with a smile that made the butterflies in Laurel's stomach lose their shit and said, "I love you so much bella."

Laurel had to force herself not to look at Dinah's lips when she said, "I love you too," her voice a little heavy with the tears that showed up whenever Dinah said those words.

They smiled at each other, and just when Laurel thought they were really having a moment, Felicity;s voice came over the loudspeakers calling everyone to the main area of the bunker.

Laurel stood up but hesitated, confused as to whether she should go or not, when Felicity said, "Except you Laurel. Well not that you can't come, you can, you just can't leave the bunker because every criminal in the city's looking for you." She chuckled nervously. "You already know that though, of course you do- anyway I'm gonna stop talking now." The loudspeakers clicked off and Laurel rolled her eyes and returned to her bagel. 

"Good luck!" she called out as Dinah left. "If you die I'll kill you!"

Dinah just smiled and Laurel laid back in bed, those stupid butterflies going wild again.


	6. mi amor, tonta (it's playful not mean), cariña

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dinah gets hurt, they VIBE

Laurel wasn't expecting Dinah to run right into her arms after the mission, but she thought she would've at least heard something by now. She wasn't totally familiar with what missions on team arrow were like, but in her experience they never seemed to last too long, and it had been hours.

Once she had worked herself up until the only thing on her mind was worry and she was inches from her breaking point, Laurel finally decided to do something about it. She wandered up to an exhausted looking Felicity and tried to peer over her shoulder at the monitors.

"There were some complications, but they're almost back," Felicity said, answering her unasked question with a yawn.

"Do you need anything?" Laurel asked faux casually. It felt awkward saying it, and she still didn't know if she'd done the right thing when Felicity replied, "No, I'll be good once Oliver gets here and we can go home."

The elevator arrived with a ding! and Laurel's heart dropped into her chest when she saw Dinah leaning heavily on Rene, blood staining the fabric against her thigh. She hurried over before she knew what she was doing and worriedly held Dinah's face in her hands. "Are you okay?" she asked frantically, tears appearing in her eyes.

Dinah rested her hands on Laurel's wrists and said, "I'm fine mi amor, it's just a scratch."

Laurel raised an eyebrow and Dinah laughed, blushing at Rene's knowing smile as she shifted her weight onto Laurel with a small grunt of pain. "Just because you lie when you're hurt doesn't mean everyone else does. It really is just a scratch."

Team arrow all stumbled tiredly to where they left their clothes and left swiftly, moving past where Laurel helped Dinah out of her pants and gently cleaned the wound. Laurel's fingertips brushed the edge of Dinah's boyshorts while she was fixing the bandage and Dinah let out an uneven breath, overly alert from a weird mix of exhaustion and adrenaline, and high off her closeness to Laurel.

Laurel pressed down the edge of the bandage to seal it to Dinah's skin, and in doing so her fingers pressed against the inside of her thigh and Dinah's breath caught in her throat. She really must be touch starved if she was reacting this much. Dirty images of Laurel flooded her mind and it took Laurel's voice to pull DInah out of a daydream where her fingers moved just a little bit higher-

"Do you need a ride home?" Laurel asked.

Dinah swallowed, forcing her mind to the present. "You can't leave the bunker tonta," she said teasingly.

"Okay, I know what that one means, asshole," Laurel replied with a laugh.

"Of course you do," she muttered playfully.

Laurel laughed again and Dinah smiled. There was no better feeling than making her happy. "Can I spend the night with you?" she asked. It was out of her mouth before she had time to think about it, but thankfully by the time she realized, Laurel was already nodding and saying, "Of course D."

Laurel helped her to her room, and when they got there DInah collapsed onto the bed, her thigh screaming. Laurel chuckled and took her shoes off for her, and Dinah sighed at being freed from her canary boots.

Laurel turned the light off and laid next to her, and Dinah took a deep breath and tried to settle into sleep. Before she could get anywhere with it, she heard Laurel nervously clear her throat beside her and then ask, "Can I um... Can I hold you?" Dinah turned to look at her and even in the dark she saw the blush on her cheeks and couldn't help but smile.

She said, "I would love that cariña," and saw the smiled that broke out on Laurel's face in response.

It was a little awkward as she inched into Laurel's arms and they figured out the position, but Dinah felt increasingly safe once they settled, and Laurel let out this quiet little sigh into her ear, and Dinah felt more at peace than she had in a long time.

It was just before she fell asleep, feeling blissful in Laurel's arms, that she realized: it had never been about Vince, or her own problems, or anything else. It had always been Laurel. She was in love with Laurel.

The corners of her mouth were still tilted upwards when she fell asleep.


	7. mi alma, mi amor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> real not angsty then it gets real angsty and then it gets real not angsty again

Don't get her wrong, Laurel hated that Dinah was was hurt. Every time she wiced in pain or looked at the stairs like they were created solely to do her wrong Laurel's heart tugged in sympathy and all she wanted to do was make it better.

She also kind of loved it. She loved that Dinah couldn't drive, and rather than getting somebody on the team to drive her she just stayed in the bunker. She loved that Dinah had somehow procured a wheelchair and would zoom around the bunker like a madwoman, crashing into things and cackling at the top of her lungs. She loved late night card games, and deep conversations, and cuddles. She just loved being with her.

She was also secretly glad that when team arrow went to take down Cayden James once and for all, they were one person short. It was ridiculously easy to convince them to bring her along and once she silenced their concerns about the bounty on her heard, "I'll just wear a ski mask or something," they were all onboard.

All except Dinah who pulled Laurel aside before she could get changed and said with a hint of panic in her voice, "Seriously, please don't die." Laurel climbed on to Dinah's lap facing her and said quietly, "I know you don't want to hear this, but if I do there's a note for you under the bed."

Dinah's knuckles were white with her voice of her grip on the arm of her chair and there were tears in her eyes when she said, "I better not have to read that letter." Laurel gently brushed Dinah's hair away from her face and said, "You won't. I'm gonna go beat the shit out of these motherfuckers and then I'm going to come back and kick your ass at Go Fish." Dinah laughed wetly and said, "You're terrible at Go Fish, mi alma."

Laurel smiled, and she wanted desperately to kiss her but she refrained and instead gave in to another desire and said, "I love you Dinah Drake." Dinah pulled her in for a hug and said, "I know you too Laur," and she smiled at being known, at being loved.

Then she stood up, snatched the ski mask Rene threw at her from the air, and walked out to take care of her past once and for all.

-

Frankly, being one of the good guys was a lot easier than she'd been expecting. Her old allies fell down like bowling pins in her path and she exalted in the way the weight on her chest lightened every time she faced another piece of the system that had her trapped for so long. She finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and she didn't think she'd ever get out but now she was so close she could almost taste it and she'd never felt so powerful in her life.

Vincent didn't even realize it was her until she screamed in his face and maybe it wouldn't make a difference in the long run but seeing him out cold with his face squished up against the floor was satisfying all the same.

It was only later when they were hiding out in a nearby building and watching Cayden and everyone who worked for him into a prisoner transfer that Laurel realized: she was free. There were no more debts to be worked off, or people to be afraid of. She could finally live.

A tear slipped down her cheek and Rene must've noticed because he reached over and squeezed her hand, understanding in his eyes. Laurel nodded at him and thought she might have a chance at having a family again.

It felt like a balloon was rising in her chest and it didn't take long for her quiet sense of newfound freedom to turn into an overwhelming amount of joy and all of a sudden she couldn't wait to get home to Dinah.

The rest of the team didn't seem to mind and no one commented on the fact that Laurel was practically vibrating with excitement on the way back to the bunker- she actually had to stop herself from bouncing up and down in her seat a couple of times.

She'd never really thought about her future before. It was all just going to be more of the same- more surviving, more killing; and thinking about it was a quick way to be driven insane.

But now- now she had a future. She could be someone she liked, someone she was proud of. She could get an apartment and invite her friends over for dinner and get a pet and be happy. She could be happy.

She texted all of it to Dinah and she could tell form her replies that she could feel it too, the sense of possibility in the air. It just felt so good to be happy.

She saw Dinah from across the room and she smiled so wide her cheeks hurt and then Dinah was speeding across the room at her in her chair and then she was in front of her and Laurel pulled her in for a hug and held her tight. Dinah whispered, "I'm so fucking glad you're happy," into her ear and Laurel felt like flying.

Dinah squeezed her extra tight and then stepped back, like she just knew somehow that Laurel was starting to feel uncomfortable.

They weren't hugging anymore, but they were still close- close enough that Laurel could tell Dinah glanced down at her lips once, and then again. Her chest tightened in anticipation, but then she stepped back.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I just-"

"It's fine," Dinah interrupted, plastering on a fake smile and hurrying away.

Laurel felt the guilt heavy in her stomach and tears pricked her eyes as the team cheered and laughed around her. 

She hated herself for hurting Dinah, but she didn't regret it. Their friendship was the best thing that happened to her, and she was _happy_. She wasn't going to lose that because Dinah needed a fucking rebound. She wouldn't let Dinah do that to her.

All of a sudden she was boiling with anger and she ran out after Dinah. She was not some fucking hookup, she was worth something and it hurt so much that Dinah didn't care enough about her to see that. She didn't make it outside instead, falling against the wall and sliding down to the floor, her whole body wracked with sobs.

-

Laurel got a decent apartment, and a job as a cashier that made her doubt the value of humanity. Things were going well and she was building something, she was free, but the glimpse she got of a future was gone. Dinah hung out with her less and less, and when they did see eachother Laurel could tell she had a mask up. It was two and a half weeks before Laurel got sick of it. She just wanted Dinah to notice her, talk to her, _see_ her again So, naturally, she showed up at Dinah's apartment.

Dinah opened the door in sweatpants and a loose tank top and Laurel's brain stopped functioning for a full 15 seconds.

"Hey Laur," Dinah said finally, and the fake happiness in her tone pulled Laurel back to earth.

She searched her brain for what to say- she had a whole speech prepared- but when she opened her mouth the other thing that came out was an indignant, "I'm not trash!"

Not her best moment.

Dinah's mouth opened and closed in surprised and then she said, "Laur what on earth are you talking about?" Her voice was genuine now, but Laurel was too caught up in her feelings to notice.

"I valued our friendship," she spat. "And I love you and just because I have feelings for you doesn't mean you get to try and use me to get over your stupid bastard of a boyfriend." She was all pent up rage and hurt and she didn't even know what she was saying, she just knew she was hurting and she wanted it to stop.

She didn't even realize she was crying until Dinah wiped her tears away with her thumb. "Let's go inside, alright?" Dinah asked.

Laurel wanted to protest but all her anger evaporated the second Dinah touched her and now she just felt sad. She wanted Dinah to hold her even though she was the reason for her sadness, so she followed her inside without saying anything, keeping her eyes down as she followed her to the couch.

Dinah reached out her hands and Laurel held them reluctantly. "Will you look at me please, mi amor?" Dinah asked. Laurel didn't want to, didn't want her to see how much she was hurting, but Dinah's voice sounded real again, and it was such a relief to have her back that Laurel couldn't help but look up. The eye contact made her nervous but still a little giddy despite the situation and she would've smiled at how she could see that depth of Dinah's eyes again if not for her impending heartbreak.

"I would never use you," Dinah said sincerely and Laurel's jaw dropped in surprise.

"I love you Laurel, so much, and I didn't try to kiss you because I wanted to get over Vince, I did it because I had never seen you look so free and it was _beautiful_ and I thought my heart might explode if I didn't at least try to show you how I felt."

Laurel struggled to speak, to say _something_ , and she was embarrassed when she felt tears fill her eyes. She kind of wanted to ask "Really?", to make sure, even though she could see just how certain Dinah was. She didn't because she trusted Dinah with her whole heart. And so she wiped her tears and said, "I've um... I've been wanting to kiss you for awhile. I really love you D."

She felt a little nervous after her admission and she glanced down at her hands, but when she looked back up Dinah looked so happy that all of Laurel's doubts melted away.

"Yeah?" Dinah said. It wasn't really a question, but Laurel shrugged and said, "Of course," and Dinah's smile was brighter than she'd ever seen it.

"Can I get that kiss now?" Dinah asked, still smiling, and Laurel couldn't help it- she surged forward, impatient, but she hesitated just before their lips touched, placed a gentle hand on Dinah's jaw, and brought her in slowly.

Their lips met and it was everything she'd been longing for. Warmth spread from their lips into her chest and she let out a quiet sigh. It was soft, and purposeful, and when Dinah rested her hands on the small of her back and pulled her closer Laurel had to break away and whisper, "I love you," against her lips.

Dinah whispered it back, and for the first time in a long time Laurel felt _content_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw i might throw in a ficlet or two in this world bc i went and got attached lol   
> like maybe have them get a pet together or something

**Author's Note:**

> if u actually speak spanish and ur like "wtf u fool" abt anything lmk


End file.
